We went north to Bear River National Wildlife Refuge this morning because Antelope Island State Park is closed on Thanksgiving and I was hopeful that we’d see some great birds there due to some recent reports from other people who have gone there this past week. Two Ross’s Geese had been seen and photographed there and I would have loved to have photographed them. I say loved because I could not find them. I did see an Adult Bald Eagle, several Northern Harriers, a couple of Red-tailed Hawks and a single Rough-legged Hawk but they were all too far away. I saw two Western Grebes, some Pied-billed and Eared Grebes that were also too far away. Way out on the water I could see flocks of Ruddy Ducks, Gadwalls and Northern Shovelers and even further away two Tundra Swans. Closer up were some Common Coots and Northern Pintail duck drakes but the Pintails were very nervous, I would be too because today is one of the biggest days for duck hunting in Utah.

The shorter version of the long paragraph above is “Bird photography sucked today”.

So, my best shots of the day were of this resting Mule Deer buck that I almost missed spotting because he blended in so well with the habitat. I wish his antlers stood out better from the dried Pigweed behind him but he is still a handsome buck.